Full body restraint system



y 1963 J. H. DOSS ET AL 3,099,261

FULL BODY RESTRAINT SYSTEM 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed ept. e, 1960 INVENTOR.

JOSEPH 055 GARY A. GRAHAM vmw A 270 2N6 Y6 July 30, 1963 J. H. DOSS ETAL 3,099,261

FULL BODY RESTRAINT SYSTEM Filed Sept. 6, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. JOSEPH 00:5 QS BY GARY A. GRAHAM July 30, 1963 J. H. DOSS ETAL 3,099,261

FULL BODY RESTRAINT SYSTEM Filed Sept. 6, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VEN TOR. JOSEPH 055 Y (n M BY GAITY A. G/PAIMM United States Patent 3,69%,261 FULL BODY RESTRAINT SYSTEM Joseph H. Doss, Kirkland, and Gary A. Graham, Seattle, Wash, assignors to Boeing Airplane Company, Seattle, Wash, a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 6, 1960, Ser. No. 54,956 16 Claims. (Cl. 128-91) The present invention deals with the problems involved in supporting an astronaut comfortably and safely within an astronautical vehicle throughout a mission that may last several terrestrial days, or even longer, under conditions that will vary from large accelerations or decelerations of values reaching several Gs to weightlessness, yet in a manner that will afford him under proper conditions freedom of movement for observation, contnol actuation, attention to bodily wants, etc. It comprises in effect a suit to be worn by the astronaut, cable means that extend generally lengthwise of the opposite sides of his body, and that are effectively integrated with the suit, yet capable of being tensioned or s-lackened independently of the suit, and means to releasably connect the cable means to the supporting structure in such manner that the cables can be or are tensioued at key points, cg. the knees, hips, feet, and above the head, to maintain and support his body and each principal body component, without support other than the cable means and suit, in an optimum sitting posture during periods of maximum stress, yet to allow him to release the cable means from the connecting means for greater freedom of movement during periods of slight or zero acceleration. Such a system aifords restraint when needed of all articulated principal body components at each end of each component, hence can be termed a full body restraint system. It is, in a word, an all-net full body restraint system suspended on cables which, when Itensioned, are rigid.

It goes without saying that such a system must be as light as possible while still affording the required support and restraint, and must be simple in all respects. It must be quickly and easily engaged or disengaged from the structure-mounted supports, by the wearer. It must leave the interior space clear and uncluttered when the full body restraint system is not in use. The wearer must have a certain amount of 'freedom or movement of certain body components, such as ifreedom to rotate his head or extend his neck even though the position his head occupies is fixed in relation to his torso, and freedom to move hands and arms for control actuation or to enable disengaging the cable means from the structure-mounted supports. It should incorporate a support which can remain at least loosely connected to the structure and to the suit, as a basis of orientation for the astronaut when other supports are released, although such support should still be quickly and fully releasable and engageable, at will. it should incorporate tensiouing means automatically operable at a selected G value imposed upon the suit, the cable means, or the structure-mounted supports, and overriding manual controls operable by the astro naut.

- Specific details call for a suit having at least upper leg encasing pants arranged for support at the knees and hips, a torso encasing portion including a back encircling vest and a chest encircling vest, each connected to cable means that when tensioned will support the body, and a head encasing helmet of two cooperating parts, one of which is fixed to the cable means, and the other of which, encasing the head, is rotatable with the head from side to side. A lumbar support band extends across the lumbar region of the back, in the vicinity of the astronauts bodily center of gravity, and both supports the body upper arm and lower arm being preferably otherwise but adequately restrained.

It is believed the principal objects will be clear trom the above, and further objects will appear as this specificat-ion progresses.

In the drawings the invention is shown in a presently preferred form.

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of an astronaut wearing the suit, and standing erect, and FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the same.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of an astronaut wearing the suit .and, except for an arm, positioned in a sitting posture, as he would be when supported from the structure by the suit.

FIGURE 4 is an isometric view of the astronaut in sitting posture, illustrating the manner in which the structure supports the several major body components.

FIGURE 5 is a side elevational view, partly broken away, illustrating the twoapart helmet assembly.

FIGURE 6 is a diagram of the tension-controlling mechanism.

The basic techniques of rocketry, including recovery of a capsule from an orbiting vehicle, having now been mastered, the problems of putting a man in space revolve about the ability of the astronaut to perform all that is required of him at all stages of his journey, accurately and dextrously. His physical and mental dexterity depend upon the provision of an adequate restraint system, which ideally should have or provide for:

a. Full-mission restraint, while affording him freedom of movement when acceleration or deceleration values are low;

[7. High G protection, especially during acceleration and deceleration;

0. Light weight and small bulk;

d. Simplicity;

e. Comfort at all times;

1. Cabin accessibility;

g. Adequate head restraint when required, without undue limitation on head rotation;

11. Vibration protection;

i. Quick hook-up and release.

The system of this invention is believed to meet all these requirements, under all conditions to be expected. "Basically, the astronaut will wear a unit 1 of light, strong material, such as nylon net. The suit in its preferred form includes several components, encasing the different major components of the body. For example, a pants section 10 encases his upper legs, his torso is en.- cased between a front vest portion 11 and a cooperating rear vest portion 12, and his lower legs are encased within calf-encircling sections 13, which may be integral with the pants section 10, but preferably are separate from the latter. His head is encased within a helmet section designated generally by the numeral 3, which will be described in greater detail later. Each of these sections may have lacings 14 whereby they may fit astronauts of different size, and slide-fasteners 15 enabling the suit to be donned or doffed quickly and easily. Padding wherever desired cushions the application of forces to the body.

The different sections are arranged for supporting engagement along the astronauts opposite sides with cable means which extend generally lengthwise his body, and which themselves are intended to be engaged with structure-mounted supports. Thus a tunnel 10a along a.) the pants section It), a tunnel 13a along the calf-encircling sections 13, and tunnels 11a and 12a along the vertical edges at opposite sides of the best portions 11 and .12, respectively, receive portions of a cable means which extends, as a whole from below the feet to above the head. The cable means is preferably in the form of a continuous loop 4 of structural cable; the two runs lie side by side within the tunnels 13a and that, but diverge from the hips upwardly, and run through the tunnels 11a and 12a, respectively. The vest portion 11 is laced to the tunnel 12a, and the vest portion 12 to the tunnel 11a. The divergence of these two cable runs permits the arms to extend through between them. At the level of the head one such cable run engages the helmet 3, as at 3%, in a manner described more fully hereinafter.

The cable means are supported, while tensioned, from the structure. Thus in FIGURE 4 a skeleton structure 5 is illustrated, to represent any suitable structure within the vehicle. The cable means are in ellect incorporated in the suit, hence the immediate supporting means should be quickly and easily engageable with and disengageable from the cable means. This end is fulfilled by employing hooks 51 to engage the cable means, joined by straps 52 to the structure or to cable tensioning means, as is the strap 52a. The cable tensioning means includes a hydraulic actuator, 53, and controls therefore which will be described later.

It will be observed that the direction of pull of the several immediate supports, when the cable means are tensioned, forces the body and its major components into a sitting posture, with the torso inclined somewhat forwardly; see FIGURE 3. The hip straps 52a are drawn rearwardly and somewhat downwardly; the knee straps 52 incline upwardly and forwardly, to maintain the thighs horizontal; the foot straps 52 are directed downwardly and in cooperation with the knee straps 52 hold the lower legs vertical; the overhead straps 52 spread the upper ends of the twocable runs to atford space for the arms and shoulders, and in cooperation with hip straps 52a also incline the torso somewhat forwardly. The helmet 3 by its engagement at 30 with the cable means holds the head in correct alignment with the torso. The entire body is held in the forwardly inclined sitting posture best calculated to resist G loads in the direction indicated in FIG- URE 3, and each major body component is supported at each of its ends, and the stresses to which the suit is subjected is distributed lengthwise of its several parts. The use of one continuous cable loop 4 at each side insures equal cable tension, eliminates bulky fittings and decreases weight, and its divergence above the hips produces a tightening about the upper torso and helmet. The use of open hooks 51 enables quick and easy engagement and disengagement.

The cable loops 4 will be tightened by hydraulic actuators 53 operated from a hydraulic pump 55. Cut-01f tension will be determined by a preset relief valve 56. Release or application of pressure may be manually accomplished by a valve 57. Initiation of tensioning or its increase to a maximum value may be eilected manually or as a result of acceleration or the like.

To assist in supporting therather critical lumbar region a lumbar support band 6 may be employed. This is in.- corporated in but located exteriorly of the suit, and its ends are releasably connected at oil to structure-mounted supports 61. The lumbar support 6 may remain thus connected as an orienting device, after the straps 52, 52a are disconnected. It thereby attaches the astronaut to the structure in the vicinity of his center of gravity, providing a weightless restraint when all other restraints are disconnected.

The helmet 3 is formed in two parts. The top part 31, of nylon net, may or may not be padded, but it incorporates a ring 32, and a ring 33 of the lower, head-encasing part 34 is rotatably guided in ring 32. Since the ring 32 is held by guides at 3% to the cable means, the head cani not be snapped forwardly or backwardly by accelerations, yet the astronaut can rotate his head from one side to the other, for observation. The head-encasing part 34 is well-padded; see FIGURE 5.

The arms are left sufiiciently free to effect control action, but should be held during acceleration. Hooks 71, '72 of reinforced resin or the like can engage the upper arm and forearm, respectively, to restrain them as long as needed, yet permit readly disengagement when required, without disturbance of any other support. Similar locating means 73 for the feet may be employed, and take-up cables '74 may be connected to the feet to hold them engaged at 73.

Preparatory to blast-off the astronaut dons the suit and attaches the hooks 51 to the several points of attachment of the cable means 4- incorporated in the suit. The helmet 3 would usually remain attached to the cable means. Before attaching the hooks to the cable means the astronaut would be able to stand upright as in FIGURES 1 and 2, and to walk about. With his vehicle stationary, attachment of the hooks to the cable means would otter no problem. Just before blast-off he would tension the cable means by manipulation of a valve 57 or otherwise, \located conveniently to his hand. This tensioning of the cable means 4 would tighten the suit about his torso, and create of it a rigid column. The tensioning will also force him into a sitting posture, inclined forwardly, as in FIGURE 3. His entire support would be afforded by the suit, the cable means incorporated therein, and the structure to which the cable means are connected. The attitude he would assume would be that best able to support a G load of the calculated value. His arms would be engaged with [the hooks or braces 71, '72, and he is then ready.

During acceleration the cable means would be tensioned fully, either automatically or through the valve 7 57. Maximum tension will be controlled automatically by valve 56. When acceleration is reduced to a bearable value, or when the condition of weightlessness obtains, the astronaut can operate valve 57 to relax tension in the cable means, and can then disengage hooks 51, except perhaps those which support the lumbar band at 60. He can then stretch and move about freely within the vehicle. Even befiore this condition occurs, the rotatability of the one helmet part relative to the other permits him to rotate his head and observe instruments or the like. When reentry is imminent, the astronaut reengages books 51, and those at 69, if disengaged, retensions the cable means, and is ready for subjection to a high rate of deceleration, which, being merely negative acceleration, is comprised within the latter term.

Upon landing, the cable means can be slacked oil, the hooks quickly disengaged, and if desired the suit can be readily dolled by releasing the slide fasteners 15. While he is in orbit the interior of his vehicle is completely clear of any supports, and he can do all things required of him. He can orient himself, if he wishes, through the mild restraint aiforded by the lumbar support strap and its attachment to the vehicles structure.

Of course, the closed cable loop 4 should not be regarded as the exclusive form of cable means through which tension may be applied to the upper portion of the body, as the front portion and the rear portion of the cable loop 4 may, if desired, be physically separated and:

tension applied to each portion separately by means similarto the tension applying means disclosed above.

We claim as our invention:

1. A restraint system for maintaining an astronaut, while subject to high rates of acceleration, in a given attitude, and for allowing him freedom of movement during periods of minor or no acceleration, said restraint system comprising a suit of several body components,

which includes at least an upper leg encasing pants section, from and rear vest portions to fit the front and rear, respectively, of the astronauts torso, above said pants 7 section, and of a length to extend generally between his lumbar region and his shoulders, lower leg elements to encircle at least his ankles, and a helmet, cable means at each side extending continuously lengthwise of each such suit component, cable guide means incorporated with and extending lengthwise along the opposite sides of each such suit component and receiving the cable means for lengthwise movement through said guide means, a plurality of support means separate from the suit and the cable means, supported in the vicinity of the locations to be assumed, when the astronaut is in the given attitude, by his feet, his knees, his hips, and above his head, releasable means for interengaging each cable means with the corresponding support means at each such location, and means to tension the respective cable means while so engaged, to assume support of the astronaut, or to relax the same.

2. A full body restraint system as in claim 1, wherein the cable-engaging means are formed, at each point of engagement, with quickly releasable and engageable fittings for supporting engagement with the cables.

3. A full body restraint system as in claim 1, wherein the two cable means are each formed as closed loops, and the cable-engaging means above the head are located to spread apart the forward and rear sides of each loop at their upper ends, to afford room for the arms to pass through the loops.

4. A full body restraint system as in claim 3, wherein each vest portion is formed with a cable guide in the form of a tunnel along its edges, the forward side of the cable loop above the hips, at each side, extending through the tunnels at the edges of the chest-covering vest portion, and the rear side of the same portions of the loops extending through the tunnels at the edges of the backcovering vest portion.

5. A full body restraint system as in claim 1, wherein the helmet is formed of two relatively movable parts, one part whereof closely embraces and moves with his head, and the other part whereof includes cable guide means which engage the cable means, to be thereby held substantially fixed in position, and means interengagea'ble between said helmet parts for rotation of the headembracing part relative to the cable-guided part.

6. A full body restraint system for maintaining an astronaut, while subject to high rates of acceleration, in a seated attitude, said restraint system consisting of a pair of cable means extending generally along each of the opposite sides of the position occupied by the astronauts body, a suit to be worn by such a man, means on said suit distributed lengthwise of the opposite sides of at least the torso and the upper leg portions of said suit, for supporting engagement of the cable means with the suit, said cable means extending continuously lengthwise of said suit, supporting means supported at fixed points ahead of and above the knee locations, behind the hip locations, and above the head location, at each side, and engageable with said cable means in the vicinity of the respective locations stated, and means to urge the supporting means for the knee and the hip locations, at least, in opposite directions to tension the cable means and so to support the wearer in a seated attitude.

7. A full body restraint system as in claim 6, wherein the cable means extend alongside the lower leg portions of the suit at each side, to terminate adjacent the locations of the astronauts feet, and each lower leg portion of the suit has means distributed therealong for supporting engagement with the corresponding portion of the cable means, and an additional supporting mean-s supported at fixed points in the vicinity of the locations of the astronauts feet, and engageable with the foot end of the cable means.

8. A full body restraint system as in claim 6, including a lumber support band incorporated in the suit and extending transversely behind the suits lumbar region, the ends whereof are of a length to extend forwardly at each side, and fixed means engageable by said ends to anchor the same.

9. A full body restraint system as in claim 6, including a helmet to be worn by the wearer of the suit, and means interengageable between said helmet and the cable means in the region above the torso, to maintain the head in alignment with the torso when the cable means are .tensioned.

10. A full body restraint system as in claim 9, wherein the helmet includes a head-embracing portion and a cable-engaging portion, and means interconnecting said two portions for rotary movement of the head-embracing portion relative to the cable-engaging portion.

11. A full body restraint system of the character described, comprising two closed loops of cable of a length to extend from points above a mans head to his feet and disposed at opposite sides of a given position to be occupied by him, a suit to be worn by such a man, including means distributed lengthwise of the opposite sides of the torso portion, the upper leg portion, and the lower leg portion, for supporting interengagement along the stated body-engaging components between the cable loops and the suit, supporting means supported at fixed points located respectively ahead of and above the knees, behind the hips, at the feet, and above the head, at each side of the given position, and engageable with the respective cable loops in the vicinity of the respective locations stated, and means to urge the several supporting means apart, to tension the cable loops and thereby, through the suit, to support the wearer along each side and in a seated attitude.

1 2. A full body restraint system as in claim 11, wherein the cable loops generally coincide between the feet and the hip supporting means, but diverge forwardly and rearwardly above the latter, and wherein the suit is formed in its torso-restraining portion of a front and a separate back vest, the means for supporting interengagement between the cable loops and the suit including one such means interengaging between the front vest at its edges and the rear portion of the loop, and a second such means interenga-ging between the rear vest at its edges and the forward portion of the loop, and the wearers arms extending between the respective forward and rear portions of the loop.

13. A full body restraint system as in claim 1, including fixed means positioned for engagement with and re lease at will from the arms of the suits wearer to restrain them against forward or rearward movement.

14. A full body restraint system to maintain the body of an astronaut in a given attitude during accelerations of large value, comprising flexible cable means at each side extending continuously lengthwise of and incorporated within each of several suit components along each side of the position of the astronauts body, a suit of several components to fit the astronaut, including a helmet, means carried by said suit, at each side at locations corresponding to the astronauts feet, knees, hips, and in the vicinity of his head, for successively receiving the respective cables for movement therein in the direction lengthwise of the astronaut, support means supported at each such location, and releasably engageable with the respective cable means, and means to tension the cable means against the resistance of the engaged support means, to maintain and support the astronaut and his several body components in the given attitude, independently of other supports.

15. A restraint system for maintaining an astronaut, While subject to high rates of acceleration, in a given attitude, and for allowing him freedom of movement during periods of minor or no acceleration, said restraint system consisting primarily of a suit of several body components, which includes at least an upper leg encasing pants section, front and rear vest portions to encase the astronauts torso substantially from his shoulders to his torso, lower leg elements to encircle at least his ankles, and a helmet; cable means at each side extending continuously lengthwise of and incorporated within the several suit components; a plurality of support means supported in the vicinity of the locations to be assumed, when the astronaut is in the given attitude, by his feet, his knees, his hips, and above his head, releasable means for interengaging each cable means with the corresponding support means at substantially each such location, and means to tension the respective cable means While so engaged, to force the astronaut into the given attitude, or to relax the same to substantially free the astronaut from restraint.

16. A restraint system as in claim 15, including a lumbar support element extending across the astronauts References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,574,529 Abraham Feb. 23, 1926 2,051,366 Catron Aug. 18, 1936 2,638,293 Lindstrom May 12, 1953 2,836,382 Martin May 27, 1958 2,940,701 Beem et al. June 14, 1960 

1. A RESTRAINT SYSTEM FOR MAINTAINING AN ASTRONAUT, WHILE SUBJECT TO HIGH RATES OF ACCELERATION, IN A GIVEN ATTITUDE, AND FOR ALLOWING HIM FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT DURING PERIODS OF MINOR OR NO ACCELERATION, SAID RESTRAINT SYSTEM COMPRISING A SUIT OF SEVERAL BODY COMPONENTS, WHICH INCLUDES AT LEAST AN UPPER LEG ENCASING PANTS SECTION, FRONT AND REAR VEST PORTIONS TO FIT THE FRONT AND REAR, RESPECTIVELY, OF THE ASTRONAUT''S TORSO, ABOVE SAID PANTS SECTION, AND OF A LENGTH TO EXTEND GENERALLY BETWEEN HIS LUMBAR REGION AND HIS SHOULDERS, LOWER LEG ELEMENTS TO ENCIRCLE AT LEAST HIS ANKLES, AND A HELMET, CABLE MEANS AT EACH SIDE EXTENDING CONTINUOUSLY LENGTHWISE OF EACH SUCH SUIT COMPONENT, CABLE GUIDE MEANS INCORPORATED WITH AND EXTENDING LENGTHWISE ALONG THE OPPOSITE SIDES OF EACH SUCH SUIT COMPONENT AND RECEIVING THE CABLE MEANS FOR LENGTHWISE MOVEMENT THROUGH SAID GUIDE MEANS, A PLURALITY OF SUPPORT MEANS SEPARATE FROM THE SUIT AND THE CABLE MEANS, SUPPORTED IN THE VICINITY OF THE LOCATIONS TO BE ASSUMED, WHEN THE ASTRONAUT IS IN THE GIVEN ATTITUDE, BY HIS FEET, HIS KNEES, HIS HIPS, AND ABOVE HIS HEAD, RELEASABLE MEANS FOR INTERENGAGING EACH CABLE MEANS WITH THE CORRESPONDING SUPPORT MEANS AT EACH SUCH 